Trusted Tools and Support for Small Businesses

Yes, we have quick, easy and affordable subscription levels for small businesses starting at $25, which includes a licensed, authenticated and globally recognized GS1 barcode and access to tools and resources to support your business growth. A GS1 Canada subscription helps you get it right from the start by ensuring your products have a verifiable and globally unique barcode and Global Trade Item Number (a GTIN, referring to the numbers under a barcode). Subscriptions are based on the number of barcodes you need. For more information about small business subscriptions, visit our Small Business webpage or contact us at info@gs1ca.org or 1.800.567.7084.

Included with your subscription is a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), which is used to create a globally unique barcode, and identifies products down to very specific details and can track a product as it moves through the global supply chain all the way to the end user, and back again if needed. In addition to one or more barcodes, your subscription includes access to tools and resources to support your business growth. Learn more

If your company has at least 100 unique products, including product variations, you will need a subscription level (Limited) that includes a GS1 Company Prefix, a consistent set of numbers at the beginning of each GTIN that uniquely identifies your business in the global supply chain. Since your GS1 Company Prefix can only be used by your organization, it identifies your company as the brand owner of your products, making it easier for your trading partners to identify and manage your products within their systems. With a Limited subscription, you will receive a 9-digit prefix which generates up to 100 barcodes.

The rest of the numbers in a GTIN uniquely identify your products and each variation of your products, simplifying your internal planning and supply chain management. Your GS1 Company Prefix is also incorporated into your GLNs (Global Location Numbers) to identify the location of your products, such as stores, warehouses, distribution centres, pharmacies and hospitals. Ensure to account for your business growth in your calculations, including new products or product variations, more warehouses or shipping locations. Learn more

When you get your barcodes from GS1 Canada, you also get peace of mind knowing that your products are uniquely identified and trace back to your company - online, in retail stores, and around the world. GS1 barcodes are globally recognized barcodes and play a key role in the global supply chain, enabling organizations to identify, track and trace products as they move through the supply chain, whether locally or around the world.

GS1 licensed barcodes are maintained in a global registry used by retailers and distributors to authenticate ownership of uniquely identified GTINs. Barcode numbers purchased from other sources could be subject to duplication or fraud and may not be linked to your product or business, ultimately resulting in loss of sales, brand erosion and potential consumer safety issues. GS1 licensed GTINs are the global standard endorsed by most Canadian and global retailers, foodservice distributors and online marketplaces to do business.

Barcodes are the actual lines and spaces that you see on the label that can be read by a scanner at point-of-sale. The barcode is the symbology that holds the unique data associated with your product. GTINs (Global Trade Item Numbers) are the numbers you see below the lines of a barcode.

A unique GTIN (and barcode) is required for every variation of your product, which means you need a unique GTIN for every size, flavour and modification (such as low-fat or sugar-free) for your products. Every product needs its own GTIN. GTINs can also be used to identify specific packaging configurations, including pallets, cases, inners, and point-of-sale/point-of-use items or even distribution/warehouse logistics. Although GTINs are frequently encoded within a barcode, they can also be used on their own. If you're not sure how many GTINs and barcodes you're going to need, use our simple GTIN Estimator to help figure it out.

Follow a simple step-by-step guide to get your barcodes.

Manage My GTINs is an efficient, user-friendly tool to assign and manage your GTINs, and generate global standard barcodes, all in one central, secure location easily and accurately. It will save time and eliminate uncertainty by assigning a unique GTIN and barcode to your product so that you can focus on growing your business. This step-by-step guide will take you through receiving a properly constructed GTIN uniquely assigned to your product. With this automatic assignment, there is less chance of error and you can be confident that your GTINs will work with trading partners. Learn more

We help small businesses get their products to market quickly and easily, whether it's a farmer's market, on your website or through another retailer or marketplace. With a GS1 Canada subscription, you have access to the tools and resources to help expand your retail opportunities:

• Get Product Images: Our professional team of professional photographers and graphic designers capture and edit product images using global standard guidelines and bundle them with validated, bilingual product data to meet trading partner content requirements. Additional fees apply. Learn more
• Selling Online: Product visibility on online platforms helps increase brand awareness and maximize sales opportunities. GS1 is the global authority for unique product identification, and GS1's GTINs ensure that your products can be sold, tracked or traced anywhere in the world. Learn more
• Sell with a Trading Partner: Confidently share the product data and images trading partners need with a flexible, cost-effective Small Business Bundle. Learn more